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| At Eternity's Gate ~ Vincent Van Gogh |
The following is a quote from a new friend, Michael Cripe, who sent me these words in a private message. His words hit home like an arrow to my heart.
"The worst part is that these are for the most part "invisible" illnesses. I get a lot of "you don't look sick" and "you're lucky you don't have to work" kinda bullshit. Since I never know when I may have a "flare" it's hard to make plans and have had to back out of things at the last minute. Lost a lot of "friends" because of being 'unreliable' and not too many people want to hang out with someone who is sick. I don't look for sympathy from people, just understanding."
The "invisible illnesses" include IBS/colitis, a horrifically debilitating condition that can "flare" up at any time, along with another devastating condition commonly known as bi-polar/manic-depression, or some version thereof, which makes people moody and that creates a lot of nervous people among your circle of friends, family, work mates, et al.
An interesting aside, a link has been found between creative people and this 'chemical imbalance' that causes such severe mood swings. Among its many victims are Vincent Van Gogh, Sylvia Plath, Leonard Bernstein, Frank Sinatra (who once said "I'm an 18-carat manic-depressive") Jonathan Winters...the list is endless. The high points are wonderful, but the valleys are indescribably dark and painful.
Both manic-depression and irritable bowel syndrome can cause friends and family to eventually (and understandably) abandon you, since they usually have no knowledge of the sheer misery these invisible illnesses can inflict on a person who suffers with one or another, or both.
It's the old "walk a mile in my shoes" syndrome; if you don't experience it yourself, it's not that big a deal.
As Michael Cripe said: "I don't look for sympathy from people, just understanding."
Understanding, and a lot of compassion...
